Reader Participation Day: Would You Ever Go On A Multi-Week, Or More, Hike?

Are you ever tempted to leave the world behind for a long-distance hike of several weeks or more? Would you ever feel comfortable doing so? Bob Mishak photo.

Would you ever head off down a trail for a multi-week, or longer, hike, carrying all you need in a pack on your back?

Earlier this week we profiled Andrew Skurka, a young man with a propensity for leaving civilization behind while he explores the world by foot. Not only has he hiked the Appalachian National Scenic Trail end-to-end and did an incredible, nearly 7,000-mile loop that touched some of the West's most iconic national parks, but most recently he circumnavigated Alaska.

Do such adventures sound tempting? Would you like to retrace some of his footsteps, or are you content to be an armchair traveler?

I have dreamed for many years of hiking the AT. It's always been an "if circumstances were different" dream—if I had the opportunity to take seven months off, if I were in better shape, if I had more camping experience, and so on. So yes, I would do it ... if all the variables added up in the right way.